Book Description:
Cardiomyopathy is a type of heart disease in which the heart becomes abnormally enlarged, thickened and/or stiffened. As a result, the heart muscle's ability to pump and/or receive blood is impaired. This book describes the most recent advances in cardiomyopathies- one of the leading causes of hospitalization worldwide.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), also known as congestive cardiomyopathy, is a condition in which the heart becomes weakened and enlarged, and as a result, cannot pump blood efficiently. The causes, effects, as well as the severity of DCM are described in this book, as well as the types of therapy that are effective, such as anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive therapy.

There has been a general decrease of cardiac involvement in HIV-positive subjects in recent years due mostly to antiretroviral therapeutic advances. This reasons behind this trend are explored. In addition, the types of risk factors that can reduce severe cardiocirculatory pathologies incidence (such as tobacco smoking and alcohol abuse)are explained as well.

Apoptosis, or cell death, is considered a key event during myocardial infarction and in the development of ischemic cardiomyopathy. This book describes the role of caspase-cleaved cytokeratin-18 (ccCk-18) in ischemic cardiomyopathy.

This book details the clinical significance of left ventricular false tendons, which consist of thin fibrous or fibromuccular structures, and their association with localized subaortic hypertrophy. The diagnostic and prognostic cardiac imaging in hypertrophic cardiomyopathies (HCM) and dilated cardiomyopathies as explored as well, in addition to the role of nuclear imaging techniques in the broad setting of cardiomyopathies.

Cardiomyopathies often lead to sudden cardiac death (SCD). This book describes the three main pathological entities of this group- hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). This book also details the epidemiology, pathology, diagnosis and treatment of the American Trypanosomiasis- a zoonosis caused by a parasite, the Trypanosoma Cruzi.

Recent statistics show that 60% of Americans are overweight. Being obese is often a precursor to coronary artery disease as well as heart failure. This book explains such obesity-related cardiomyopathies. In addition, this book explores hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM), a primary myocardial disease, and the effective treatments for this condition.

Both clozapine-associated myocarditis and cardiomyopathy lead to significant cardiovascular compromise and clinical deterioration over a short period of time. This book describes such conditions, as well as the type of therapy (such as clozapine therapy) that follows a diagnosis.

Heart transplantation is usually the treatment of choice for certain types of cardiomyopathy. However, the donor rate in many countries is low, causing a significant problem especially as the number of potential recipients increases. Thus, this book explains the types of non-transplant surgical options for cardiomyopathy, including high-risk coronary bypass surgery.

This book details the meaning of serum pro-BNP levels in different cardiac diseases, the usefulness of some arterial pressure waveform system and assesses the feasibility of the cardiac cycle efficiency (CCE). In addition, factors affecting tumor Necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) in heart disease are reviewed in this book, as well as the Takotsubo Syndrome (TTS), characterized by an acute, reversible cardiomyopathy that can either involve apical or midventricular segments.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. A non invasive imaging methodology, allowing the early detection of vulnerable atherosclerosis in selected individuals, is explored, prior to the occurrence of any symptoms. An overview of all radiotracers that have been experimentally evaluated is also provided, with emphasis on the most promising agents.

Finally, this book explores the incidence, etiology and outcome of pediatric cardiomyopathy - with an emphasis on dilated cardiomyopathies, since this condition is especially frequent in very young infants. Over the last decades, the mortality rate has decreased as a result of heart transplantation. Thus, the survival rate, as well as treatment options, are also explored in this book.

Table of Contents:
Preface

Expert Commentaries

Dilated Cardiomyopathy;pp. 1-5
(Agostino Pugliese, Tiziana Beltramo, Univ. Of Turin, Italy, Donato Torre, General Hospital, Cittiglio(Varese)Italy)

HIV Infection and Cardiac Involvement;pp. 7-10
(Agostino Pugliese, Tiziana Beltramo, Univ. Of Turin,Italy,Donato Torre, General Hospital, Cittiglio(varese), Italy)

The Role of Caspase-cleaved Cytokeratin-18 in the Development of Ischemic Cardiomyopathy;pp. 11-20
(K. Hoetzenecker,S.Hacker, M. Lichtenauer, B. Moser, H.J. Ankersmit, Medical Univ. of Vienna, Austria, W. Hoetzenecker, Medical Univ. of Tubingen, Germany,)

Short Communications

Standard ECG in Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia-Cardiomyopathy: QRS Fragmentation;pp. 21-26
(S. Peters, Academic Teaching Hospital of the University Hospital Magdeburg, Germany)

False Tendon Induced Subaortic Hypertrophy- A New Variant of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy?;pp. 27-34
(James Ker, Univ. of Pretoria, South Africa)

Diagnostic and Prognostic Cardiac Imaging in Cardiomyopathies;pp. 35-43
(Shinro Matsuo, Kenichi Nakajima, Nasima Akhter, Koichi Okuda, Seigo Kinuya, Kanazawa University Hospital, Japan)

Genetic Study To Hypertrophic Cardiomymoathy: A Bridge Between Forensic Pathologist And Clinicians;pp. 45-56
(Jose Blanco Pampin, Inst. of Legal Medicine Of Galicia, Spain)

Cardioplegic Protection Against Ischemia-Reperfusion in Rat Heart: Mechano-Energetic Roles of Mitochondrial KATP And mNCX;pp. 57-65
(Maria Ines Ragone and Alicia E. Consolini, Univ. Nacional de La Plata(UNLP), Argentina)

Research and Review Studies

Cardiomyopathies and Sudden Cardiac Death;pp. 67-128
(Theodoros Xanthos, Konstantinos Stroumpoulis, Konstantinos Ekmektzoglou, Lila Papadimitriou, University of Athens, Greece)

Chagasic Cardiomyopathy: New Trends for an old Burden;pp. 129-179
(Milei J, Guerri Guttenberg RA, Azzato F, Storino R, Inst. De Investigaciones Cardiologicas, Aires,Argentina)

The Obesity Related Cardiomyopathy;pp. 181-215
(Wayne Smith, Eugene F. Du Toit, Univ. Of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, Cape Toen,South Africa)

Treatment of Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy. A Systematic Review;pp. 217-250
(Llamas Esperon Guillermo, Munoz Sandoval Rocio, Ruiz Esparza Maria E., Fuantos-Delgado Luz,Sandoval Navarrete Santiago, Hospital Cardiologica Aguascalientes, Mexico)

Clozapine-Associated Myocarditis and Cardiomyopathy - It's the Heart that is Important, Not the Classification;pp. 251-283
(Steven Joseph Haas, Frank Thien and Andrew M. Tonkin, et al., Alfred Hospital, Australia, et al.)

Non-Transplant Surgical Options for Cardiomyopathy;pp. 285-328
(Andrew E. Newcomb, St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, Silvana F. Marasco, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia and Nikunj Powar, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia)

Surgical Treatment for Cardiomyopathy and Associated Functional Mitral Regurgitation;pp. 329-376
(Tetsuya Ueno and Ryuzo Sakata, Kagoshima Univ., Japan)

Assessment of Cardiac Surgery Patients: The Coupling Between Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide and Arterial Waveform Analysis;pp. 377-409
(Sabino Scolletta, Federico Franchi, Pierpaolo Giomarelli, and Bonizella Biagioli, University of Siena, Italy)

Targeting TNF Alpha in Heart Disease: Opportunities and Challenges;pp. 411-434
(Zamaneh Kassiri and Gavin Y. Oudit, University of Alberta, Canada)

The Takotsubo Syndrome(TTS): Novel Insights Into A Transient Cardiomyopathy;pp. 435-455
(Mark Rosenberg, Dirk Lossnitzer, Hugo A. Katus, Norbert Frey, Univ. of Heidelberg, Germany)

New Radiotracers for the Molecular Imaging of Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaques;pp. 457-475
(Laurent M. Riou, Alexis Broisat, Julien Dimastromatteo, Daniel Fagret, Catherine Ghezzi, Faculte De Medecine De Grenoble, La Tronche, France)

The Expression of Matrixmetalloproteinases (MMPs) and Their Tissue Specific Inhibitors (TIMPs) in Idiopathic Canine Dilative Cardiomyopathy- Immunohistochemistry and mRNA Analyses;pp. 477-495
(Heike Aupperle, Universität Leipzig, Germany, Imke Marz, Universität Leipzig, Germany, Andreas Schubert, Fraunhofer Institute, Leipzig, Germany, Gregor Dinges, Universität Leipzig, Jens Thielebein, Martin-Luther-Universitat, Germany, and H.-A. Schoon, Institut für Veterinär-Pathologie, Germany)

Pediatric Cardiomyopathy: Incidence, Etiology And Outcome;pp. 497-507
(Daniel De Wolf, Ghent Univ., Belgium)

Non-Compaction of Left Ventricle;pp. 509-522
(Radhakrishnan Ramaraj, Vincent L. Sorrell, Univ. of Arizona College of Medicine, Scott E. Klewer, Univ. of Arizona, USA)

Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFPEF): Pathology and Directions for Therapy;pp. 523-538
( Michael Gavin, Bruce T. Liang and W. David Hager, University of Connecticut Health Center USA)
Index